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Thera 1.58: Ramaniyakutika
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(58):Ramaniyakutika Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =58. Ramaṇīyakuṭika= His story resembles that of the Añjana-Woodlander, with this difference: he lived in a hut beside a small village in the Vajjian territory. It was a pretty pleasing little hut, with floor and walls well prepared, surrounded by park and tank, and with its enclosure of smooth pearly sand. And the Thera's excellent virtues enhanced its attractiveness. He there won arahantship(enlightenment), and there continued to live. Now when people came to see the settlement, they could also see the hut. One day a few fast(lewd) women came by near, and seeing the attractiveness of the hut said: 'The monk living there might be a youth we could fascinate.' So they approached him, saying: 'Delightful, sir, is your living-place. We too are delightful to see, just in the prime of our youth,' and they began to show off their dress and so forth. But the Thera set forth his passionless state in this verse: ---- 58 Ramaṇīyo me kuṭikā saddhādeyyā manoramā|| Na me attho kumārīhi yesaɱ attho tahiɱ gacchatha nāriyo' ti.|| || ---- 58 Delightful is my little hut, the gift Most fair of faithful, pious folk. What need of women then have I? no, go There to them, you women, who have need of you. ---- By this 'not needing' saying, the declaration of the Thera's arahantship(enlightenment) is implied. ---- 1.6-858 Commentary on the stanza of =Ramaṇīyakuṭika Thera= The stanza starting with Ramaṇīyā me kuṭikā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Ramaṇīyā Kuṭikā. What is the origin? It is said that he also, at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, did the sowing of seed of good deed, wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirhts among divine and human beings and was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Atthadassī, eighteen hundred aeons (kappa) ago from now, On having attained the age of intelligence, he offered to the Blessed One a seat worthy of Buddha. Having reverentially offered to the Blessed One, flowers also, he paid his homage with five earth-touching postrues (pañcapatiṭṭhita), circumambulated Him and took his departure. The rest but resembles what has been said in the story of the Thera Añjanavaniya. This, however, is the difference. --- It is said that he became a monk in the manner, said already, and having done his preliminary duty, he took up his residence in a cottage of a certain village abode in the Vajji kingdom. That cottage happened to be highly handsome, good-looking, pleasant, with walls nad floor well constructed, endowed with such surroundings as pleasant parks and ponds and so on, standing on a site strewn with sand similar to a tangled profusion of pearls and presented itself all the more delightful to a greater degree due to its precincts being polished, cleanly swept, etc., and because of the Thera’s being replete with recluse’s duties. Living there, the Thera provoked the development of spiritual insight (vipassanā), became established in Arahantship but before long. Hence, has it been said in Apadāna: “After having penetrated into the dense forest, that was silent (appasadda) and free from disturbance (nirākula), a lion-seat was offered by me to such a Buddha as Atthadassī. Having collected a garland of flowers in my hand I circumambulated Him. After having attended upon the Master, I took my departure facing the north direction. O Monarch of men (dvipadinda), the eldest of the world, the bull among men! I made myself (with fires) well-extinguished; all existences had been entirely eliminated. It was eighteen hindred aeons (kappa) ago that I then offered my charity. I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of (offering) the lion-throne. Seven hundred aeons ago, I became a world-king of great strength, endowed with seven gens, a warrior prince (khattiya) known as Sannibbāpaka. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Having, haowever, attained Arahantship while the Thera was living there, people who were monastery-minded, because of the pleasantness of the cottage (kuṭikā) came from here and there and had a look at the cottage. Then one day, some congenitally wicked women, who had gone there, saw the pleasant state of the cottage, and said thus:– “Venerable Sir! Your residential region is delightful; we also are delightfully beautiful and still in our early youth,” with such a motive (adhippāya) as: “This monk living here may be of such a heart as can be attracted by us.” So saying, they began to show their womanly coquetry and so on. The Thera uttered a stanza starting with “Ramaṇīyā me kuṭikā, saddhādeyyā manoramā, in order to make manifest the state of his own self being bereft of lust (rāga). 58. There, ramaṇīyā me kuṭikā is to be construed thus:– What has been said by you, namely: “Venerable Sir! Your cottage is delightful,” that is true; this residential cottage of mine is delightful and beautiful in appearance (manuññarūpā). Saddhā deyyā is to be construed thus:– Indeed, that cottage also happened to be a charitable gift with pious faith because of the fact that it ought to be offered with righteous desire and pious faith having believed in the fruition of action thus:– “Having made as such so endearingly and offered to monks, there is, namely, this fruition for the offering; not by means of money had my hut been made to spring up. Manoramā is to be construed thus:– Itself also rendered the mind of those, who saw and enjoyed the charitable gifts offered, likewise, delightful; thus, manoramā (delightful to the mind). Indeed, because of the fact that the charitable offering was made with pious faith it is delightful to the mind even; with pious faith and so on, people, after having prepared respectfully themselves charitable offerings (deyyadhamma), made their offering; good people in enjoying the charitavble offering also, became andowed with undertaking to support (payogāsaya) the uprightness (avisaṃvādanattha) also of the donor; they did not fail to undertake the support in the manner (ākāra) contemplated by you all; thus, is the significance. Na me attho kumārīhi means: since my mind is not to be distracted by sensual pleasures in all aspects, I am not, therefore, in need of maidens. Indeed, even by way of doing deeds to be legally befitting (kappiya) there is, namely, no under-taking by ladies for monks like me; much less (pageva) by way of lust (rāga); therfore, I am not in need of young ladies. Here, the taking of young ladies should be seen in the light of discrimination (upalakkhaṇa). “You should regulate your life (paṭipajja) in this manner, namely, in the presence of such a monk as myself: with inapt actions up to sin also, this performance of yours in the presence of people like you possessing the same propensity (ajjhāsaya) might be splended;” pointing (them) out thus, he said:– “Yesaṃattho tahiṃ gacchatha nāriyo.” There, yesaṃ means: of those who are lustful towards sensual pleasures (kāma). Attho means purpose (payojana). Tahiṃ means there, to their presence. Nāriyo means a term of address to women. On having heard it the ladies became confused (mañku embarressed) and dejected (pattakkhandha) and went away but by the road they had cone. Here also, “Na me attho kumārīhi (I am not in need of young ladies);” thus, even by means of his words regarding the condition of his needless-ness of sensual pleasures, his Arahantship has been made manifest by the Thera; thsu, it should be seen. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Ramaṇīyakuṭika is complete. *********oOo********* ----